Morality is not determined by the church you attend nor the faith you embrace. It is determined by the quality of your character and the positive impact you have on those you meet along your journey
Monday, March 31, 2014
Finally a version of the Ten Commandments that I am willing to follow.
Admit it, if THIS were the basis for our morality, the world would be much better place.
These beliefs tie into everything Neil is trying to convey with Cosmos...ancient man saw the wonderment around him and created basic road maps for life. It is pretty obvious where the fork in the road was invented....Native Americans were in awe at the beauty and had reverence for all life, while the white race created superstitions, paranoia and an absolute quest for power with bottomless greed according to books written thousands of years ago in the desert. I am not familiar with all the tribes but seems to me most were peaceful, not aggressive.....but of course when Europe invaded they brought all their lovely weapons, liquor, etc.
An Australian Aboriginal Chief is quoted as saying,when asked if he had encountered Christian Missionaries....."Yes,but Jesus came for the white man....we have always lived this way"......
Considering that the christian religion is northern-hemispherically derived then I would have to credit any antipodean person for calling out the inaccuracy of the biblical tale.
When the bible was written is was centered in the middle east of the northern hemisphere of our Earth. The spring "rebirth and resurrection" tales in the northern hemisphere are, of course, completely in opposition to the seasons in the southern hemisphere. Jesus's "resurrection" would have taken place in the fall, south of the Equator, which really makes no sense because the resurrection tale is one of the rebirth that happens in northern hemisphere spring, rather than the slowing and dropping of leaves that is happening in fall, in the southern hemisphere.
The birth story was meant to coincide with the northern hemisphere's return of light following the darkest days surrounding the Winter Solstice, north of the Equator.
My biggest argument with the bible and its stories is all of it takes place in the northern hemisphere and does not apply AT ALL to life south of the Equator.
It is a story that was written by people that had no clue that the Earth was a sphere and that there was an entire half of it that lay beyond the equator where seasons are opposite of the hemisphere in which the men writing the bible were located.
That alone is why I've never been able to buy into the bible or any of the stories. If god was so omniscient then wouldn't he have included the southern latitudes when "speaking" to his "people" and have them jot down his words and perhaps make accommodations for those south of the Equator?
It's also okay to simply take care of you and your own. Part of freedom from religion is NOT concerning yourself with others.
Not all of us have a philanthropic gene or a consideration for others rather than just being polite and not causing any harm. I'm a "neither helpful, nor harmful" person. There are those of us that are "cause neutral" and take our spin around this big old planet just existing and not interacting very much. Just like the old 70's adage "I'm okay, you're okay". Life is sometimes challenging enough without getting involved in the lives of others.
And the white man called THEM savages!
ReplyDeleteInteresting too that the Christians have always tried to convert the Native Americans when the NA had the right path all along.
ReplyDeleteAn elusive ideal.........c'mon gryphen,we're talkin' 'bout HUMANS here.......human behaviour ........truly imponderable....
ReplyDeleteHitchens had it right as well.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9weXGtCk7c
These beliefs tie into everything Neil is trying to convey with Cosmos...ancient man saw the wonderment around him and created basic road maps for life. It is pretty obvious where the fork in the road was invented....Native Americans were in awe at the beauty and had reverence for all life, while the white race created superstitions, paranoia and an absolute quest for power with bottomless greed according to books written thousands of years ago in the desert. I am not familiar with all the tribes but seems to me most were peaceful, not aggressive.....but of course when Europe invaded they brought all their lovely weapons, liquor, etc.
ReplyDeleteAn Australian Aboriginal Chief is quoted as saying,when asked if he had encountered Christian Missionaries....."Yes,but Jesus came for the white man....we have always lived this way"......
ReplyDeleteHave always found that amusing.....
DeleteConsidering that the christian religion is northern-hemispherically derived then I would have to credit any antipodean person for calling out the inaccuracy of the biblical tale.
DeleteWhen the bible was written is was centered in the middle east of the northern hemisphere of our Earth. The spring "rebirth and resurrection" tales in the northern hemisphere are, of course, completely in opposition to the seasons in the southern hemisphere. Jesus's "resurrection" would have taken place in the fall, south of the Equator, which really makes no sense because the resurrection tale is one of the rebirth that happens in northern hemisphere spring, rather than the slowing and dropping of leaves that is happening in fall, in the southern hemisphere.
The birth story was meant to coincide with the northern hemisphere's return of light following the darkest days surrounding the Winter Solstice, north of the Equator.
My biggest argument with the bible and its stories is all of it takes place in the northern hemisphere and does not apply AT ALL to life south of the Equator.
It is a story that was written by people that had no clue that the Earth was a sphere and that there was an entire half of it that lay beyond the equator where seasons are opposite of the hemisphere in which the men writing the bible were located.
That alone is why I've never been able to buy into the bible or any of the stories. If god was so omniscient then wouldn't he have included the southern latitudes when "speaking" to his "people" and have them jot down his words and perhaps make accommodations for those south of the Equator?
It's also okay to simply take care of you and your own. Part of freedom from religion is NOT concerning yourself with others.
ReplyDeleteNot all of us have a philanthropic gene or a consideration for others rather than just being polite and not causing any harm. I'm a "neither helpful, nor harmful" person. There are those of us that are "cause neutral" and take our spin around this big old planet just existing and not interacting very much. Just like the old 70's adage "I'm okay, you're okay". Life is sometimes challenging enough without getting involved in the lives of others.
I've always been in awe of the ways of the native people and their respect for mother earth.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I can get behind those.
ReplyDelete